Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is classified as which type of disorder?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is classified as an anxiety disorder due to the nature of its symptoms, which revolve around pervasive and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that individuals feel driven to perform in response to these intrusive thoughts. The anxiety component is significant because individuals with OCD often experience intense anxiety when they are unable to carry out their compulsive behaviors or when they confront the obsessive thoughts without engaging in the ritual to alleviate their distress.

Understanding OCD as an anxiety disorder highlights the psychological mechanisms at play, where the compulsions are performed as a means to reduce the anxiety provoked by the obsessions. Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive fear or worry, and in OCD, this is manifested through the repetitive cycle of thoughts and behaviors that the individual acknowledges may be irrational, yet feels compelled to act upon in order to lessen their anxiety.

Mood disorders, on the other hand, primarily involve disturbances in a person's mood, such as depression or bipolar disorder, and while individuals with OCD may experience mood disturbances as a secondary effect, it is not the defining characteristic of OCD. Similarly, thought disorders, which include conditions where the thought processes are disorganized, are not appropriately aligned with the typical presentation of